KNOWING

ENGLISH - (PG13) - 26 March 2009 - Action/Thriller

Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Running time: about 122 mins.
Director: Alex Proyas
Producers: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Writers: Alex Proyas, Stuart Hazeldine, Juliet Snowden
Casts: Nicolas Cage, Rose Bryne, Lara Robinson, Chandler Canterbury
Plot: When a teacher (Nicolas Cage) opens a time capsule that was dug up recently in his son's elementary school, he discovers that it contains some chilling and strange predictions about the future. Some events have already occurred and some are yet to unfold. The discoveries soon lead him into believing that his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

THE VERDICT:

Green Tea says:

WARNING SPOILER! The beginning, it looks like an X-Files movies with some unexplained natural weirdness in a little girl back in the late 50s. Later we are transport back into the present setting with a boy with another weirdness. It turns out that these kids have an ability given to predict the future and prophecy about something unspeakable to happen to the Earth, and the movie is about to give you a ride of the hella-good!! Imagine this, a crossover between The Da Vinci Code, X-Files and The Day After Tomorrow.

Nicolas Cage stars as a single parents of one, whom worked at MIT as a astro-physician. His son found a letter containing numerous patterns of nymbers encrypted on a piece of paper; earlier shown to be written by a girl 50 years back with the help of the whispers from unknown entity. At first John Koestler (Nicolas) dismissed the numbers as been random but later he managed to pull a string of answers where the numbers represents the major natural disaster events over the last 50 years. Only missing, another three events not yet occur, therefore, in a race against time, John need to SAVE THE WORLD!!

The story may end up been a typical theme of global disaster and some unknown entity that we are familiar off. However, I must highlight the differences in the terms of story telling and what idea the movie is putting above. The use of number logarithm itself makes the story very interesting that thankfully it helps to make the movie not as dire-strait and old-fashioned as the other 'end of the world" movies. It is not your normal disaster movie that based merely on sciences like The Day The Earth Stood Still or The Day after Tomorrow.

The story places itself into two halves. First, the prediction and chains of events that occur. I can't help to notice that why the numbers written by the little girl end up inside the time capsule where she should have written it somewhere else? However, it was intriguing to see this first part although predictable by its trailer that nobody what you try to do to stop it, these chains of events will determined to occur. Just look at the crashing plane at the highway or the malfunction subway train that cause huge accidents; these events will make you feel "Wow" and spooky at the same time.

The second half is the one that makes the movie more exciting. Put aside some of your science text book but now throw in more religiously thought and extra-human-kinetic and ability, you got more forces playing on the movie. The plot is easy to follow and somehow does not need a deep knowledge about other stuffs to easily allow you to cruise through the movie. This half is something new because it breaks away from traditional believes and conception we have about certain things in life.

Fortunately also, this time no under-performance by Nicolas Cage. Remember that this movie is selling under his name solely and he prove otherwise that we should forget about Bangkok Dangerous but really into this. He did a great job as emotionally and charcaterization of a single father, and a thriller anchorage. The two kids were equally stunning and I think it would be great to see their bright future after this movie.

The effects are needless to say. It was awesome and have a great chilling effect that scoop through the core of your bones. The sequence of any major disaster happening is visually stunning and makes you hit with a WOW-factor. In the nutshell, I think this movie may end up to be a must watch movie for all.

THE RATINGS.....

CAST - 4.0 stars

STORY - 4.0 stars

CINEMATOGRAPHY - 4.0 stars

EFFECTS - 4.0 stars

an overall>> 4.0 stars

GreenTea-O-Meter: 16.0